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  • heart-to-heart
    heart-to-heart
    adjective
    frank; sincere.
  • heart to heart
    heart to heart
    Candidly, sincerely, as in We need to talk heart to heart about her coming marriage. This expression is nearly always applied to a conversation of some kind. [Mid-1900s]
Synonyms

heart-to-heart

American  
[hahrt-tuh-hahrt] / ˈhɑrt təˌhɑrt /

adjective

  1. frank; sincere.

    We had a heart-to-heart talk about his poor attendance.

noun

  1. Informal. a frank talk, especially between two persons.

heart-to-heart British  

adjective

  1. (esp of a conversation or discussion) concerned with personal problems or intimate feelings

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. an intimate conversation or discussion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
heart to heart Idioms  

  1. Candidly, sincerely, as in We need to talk heart to heart about her coming marriage. This expression is nearly always applied to a conversation of some kind. [Mid-1900s]

Etymology

Origin of heart-to-heart

First recorded in 1865–70

Vocabulary lists containing heart-to-heart

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In a heart-to-heart talk with your adult child; acknowledge the pain, hardship or misunderstanding that resulted from your actions or decisions; and ask for forgiveness.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 2, 2025

Fraser's turning point came after a heart-to-heart with his older brother Ross.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2025

“Zoe and I had a heart-to-heart and I said, ‘We can adapt,’” King said, recalling how they decided to create a decentralized model for the company that would allow her to live with her family.

From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2024

Toward the end, it becomes loose and playful, resembling a late-night heart-to-heart.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2024

It was wonderful indeed how I could have heart-to-heart talks with my dogs and they always seemed to understand.

From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.